Lighthouse tube mounting



April 1946- 'R. G. SCHRIEFER LIGHTHOUSE TUBE MOUNTING Filed Dec. 29, 1944 ROBERT G.SCHR|EFER Patented Apr. 9, 1946 Robert G. Schriefer, Fort Wayne, 1nd. Application December 29,1944, Serial No. 570,424

6 Claims.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) This. invention relates to socket devices for electron discharge tubes and is particularly directed to the problem of mounting and effecting the proper electrical connections to a specific type of such tubes.

- 'The tube with which the present invention is particularly designed for use is commonly called the lighthouse tube. The tubeis provided with a conventional base having terminal prongs extending therefrom for supplying energy to its heater and cathode. Additional annular electrode contacts are positioned above the base of the tube, each electrode being successively of decreasing size as the top of the tube is approached. These tube electrodes are normally connected to downwardly projecting tubular electrodes, forming part of a resonant coaxial housing, whereby they abut facewise on the tubes electrodes, to complete their output circuits; Such construction while useful in special applications, constitutes an unduly complicated and expensivemounting for many uses of these tubes. From the foregoing it will be apparent that when the housing and tube are assembled in the apparatus in which they are to be used, it may be diflicult to replace the tube and the time required for doing so may be considerable.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved mounting assembly for a lighthouse tube which will permit its ready removal or replacement. A further objectof this invention is to provide an efficient detachable tube mounting without interference to the leads connecting the tubes input terminals. j Yet another object of the invention is to provide'connections for'eng'aging the output terminals of the tube wherein the capacity between these connections is minimized by their dimensionsa'nd location.

' Otherobjeets and advantages of the present invention will'beapparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawingwherein: r Figure 1 is a perspective view of the chassis with the socket mounting'plate removed therefrom to show clearly the 'clip connectionsfor th tubes plate, grid, and cathode;

figure 2"is a, perspective view of the socket mounting plate showing the socket attached thereto and a tube of the type to be used therein, ,elevatedtherefrom, and; I I

Fi ure 3 isa perspectiveview of the elements of the mounting showing the relationship of the mounting, broken away to illustrate details of socket and chassis connections employing a flex: ible lead therebetween; also shown, is a portion of the tubes output circuit.

Referring now to the drawing and particular-. ly to Figure 1, a mounting assembly is there illustrated comprising an apertured platform section, which as shown, may constitute a chassis portion 5 with supporting side plates 6 and 'l at the front and rear edges respectively and extending downwardly therefrom at substantially right angles thereto. The platform 5 being of metal acts as an electrostatic shield whereby the interfering fields of an electron discharge tube supply leads and those of its output circuits are segregated. An elongated aperture 8 having rounded ends is formed through the central portion of the platform 5 and is of sufficient dimensions to permit the prongs 9 to move longitudinally in the aperture. These prongs 9 extend from the base of tube I0, and are engaged by a socket 28 as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The electron discharge device I0 is an exemplary embodiment, used for purposes of illustration, of the lighthouse tube, which derives its name fromthe similarity of its terraced body, enlarged base and pronged end, to a lighthouse. The output electrodes of the tube are vertically spaced, and in coaxial relation to each other, each electrode decreasing in diameter as the top of the tube is approached. The largest electrode, near the base of the tube, is the cathode terminal l5, next electrode is the grid ring l6 and lastly the anode cap H. A plurality of electrode engaging clips ll, l2, and I3 are supported from the chassis, as by an insulated support Hi, to overlie the aperture 8.

The electrode clips ll, 12, and I3 of bifurcated construction are formed of flat spring material such as plated brass, and are secured in spaced relation edgewise to each other whereby capacity between the clips are keptto a minimum. Bolts I8 extending through the support l4 rigidly anchors the clips by threading and tightening the nuts I9 thereon, while the leads of the tubes output circuits may be connected to the bolts by other nuts 20 threadedthereon. Thetwo side portions of the spring material of clip I I may be brought sharply together, and secured by weld or bolt 2| and nut 22 just short of its arcuate electrode engaging tend to form a triangle for clasping the tubes plate or cap electrode I! as shown in Figures 1 and 3. Electrode clip l2 has a squared 'base' portion with diverging arcuate tube, socket and chassis as well as a view ofthe shaped arms radiating therefrom which is itssocket 28.

adapted to engage the electron discharge tubes grid ring it, while the cathodes output electrode i is engaged by the semicircular'clip l3.

A mounting plate 23 of metal or other material having slots 24 and 25 therein is slid on the platform 5 and when said slots overlie the tapped openings, not shown, in the platform provided for screws 25 and 21, they may be inserte'd through the slots for threaded engagement with the open ings, and when tightened, will rigidly secure the on the support M to complete the tubes load circuits. 7

It is understood that the foregoing embodiment described is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense except as required by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims. H f

The invention described herein m-ayzbe manufactured and used by or 'for'the "Government of the United States of America for government "purposes without the payment of any royalty stallation of-a conventional socket 28 provided 1 i with radially disposed, slotted openings 29,formed in its top, forthe reception of the prongs 9 of tube iii.

A suitably formed socket aperture or keyway 30 is provided in the center of the socket for the reception of a spline'd guide key3l projecting from the, center of the tube HI and extendingbeyond the prongs 9.- I

When guide key 3| of tube In coincides with the keyway 30 0f socket'28 thetubes input connection prongs 9 maybe forced into their correct openings 29 onthe socket, which further guides the prongs intoengagement' with connector clips 32. Each clip 32 has a connection lug portion which extends from the bottom of socket 28, and

a is provided with an opening '33 near its end for receiving an end of a flexible cable of Leitz or other plural stranded wire 34 which may be mechanically connected andsoldered thereto, one of such connection lugs being shown in the broken away portion of Figure 3. The other end of wire 34 is connected to a terminal-lug 35 mounted to the underside of platformiand-insulated therefrom, The wire being of sucha length that the mounting plate 23 may be moved the full length of slots "24 and 25 without strain-being placed thereon. It is obvious that, circuit connections may be-made from several connection lugs-32- to aplurality of other similar terminaLlugs-35 H in any appropriate manner tocomplete the tubes base electrode circuits. The circuit'elements of the tubeas shown in Figure 3, constitutesian oscillator circuit. The

plate electrode clip ll isioonnected by awire 35 to a plate tank circuit comprisingvan inductance 3'1 with a variable capacitor-=38 in parallel thereto, and a tap 39 taken from the inductance is connected to a suitable load-circuit through a series capacitor 40. Grid clip and cathode clip 13 are connected by leads M and 42 to a mounted thereon, is slidablysecured to the platform 5) it is only necessary when it is desired to place a tube in its socket, to slidethe plate thereon or therefor.

What is claimed is: 1. "A mounting assembly for a tube including a c'hassis I'comprising-a platform and a support associated therewith, a slidable mounting plate, a'socket secured to said slidable mounting plate clips onsaid support for engaging said tube.

2. In combination a chassis having "ajpiatfor'm,

' a support extendedthe'refrom, -a;'m'oimting,plate that .the mounting plate '23 having socket 28 away from support 14 within the limit of the: slots ofthe mounting plate and insert'a tube Hlwithin electron discharge'tubes plateggrid; and cathode electrodes will be engaged by'their respective clips adapted for movement on sai'dplatform, a"tube mounted on said mounting plate, clips 'onsaid support overlying said platform and engageable with said tube. whenthe mounting plate is moved toward said support.

3. 1 In combination, a chassis having a platform, a support extended therefrom, a mounting plate adapted for movementonsaidplatform relative to saidsupport, a socket carried by said-mounting plate, a tubehaving output electrodes in coaxial relationto each other secured to said socket, and electrode clips on said support'engageable with said tube when said mounting plate is moved toward said support. I

4. A mounting device for an electron discharge tube having a pronged base and vertically, spaced outer annular. contacts,vcomprising a platform, a mounting plate slidablypo'sitioned 0n the platform, a prong receiving socket carried by Ithe mounting .plate and extending below .the same,

4 an elongated V aperture in the chassis underlying said socket to accommodate its movement iont'adjustment of the slidable mounting plate and contact means mounted above"theplatformandpositioned to overlie the prongreceivingsocketin one position of the mounting plate to engage the outer annular tube contacts, whereby-the tube may be inserted in the prong receiving socket in-one mounting-plate position andthen movedto efiect engagement of the contact mounted above the platform with the annular tube contactsin another mounting plate position.

5. A mounting device for an electron discharge tube having a. pronged baseand spaced vouterlannular contacts, comprising a chassis, a mounting plate slidably positioned on the chassis,- a'prongreceiving socket secured to saidmounting-plate, flexible leadsconnected to said socket from said platform, an elongated aperture in -said chassis underlying said socket .to 1 accommodate movement or adjustment of the slidable mounting plate, and contact clips mounted above the platformand-positioned't'o overlie thefprong receiving socket in one "mounting :plate positioned whereby contact is made withrsaid:electrondischarge device outer-annular.contacts and willlpermitremovallof saidelectro'n discharge "devicewl'ienthe mountingplate is moved to anotherrposition.

6. A mounting assembly for an electron dis charge device having at one end a 'p'lura'lity' of vertically spacedelectrodes in coaziiairelationto each other-and prongsatits other end, "comprising a. chassis having a platform, a plurality of contacts supported from said chassis, a slotted mounting plate carried by and adapted for movement on said platform, a socket secured to said mounting plate and adapted to receive said electron discharge device, means for clamping said slotted mounting plate to said platform whereby in a first position the slotted mounting plate may be in an operating position underlying said contacts for said spaced electrodes to be engaged thereby and said mounting plate being adapted to be moved to a second position to permit removal of said electron discharge device.

ROBERT G. SCHRIEFER. 

